The Wyoming Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed the state's first recorded case of human rabies.
The Casper Star-Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/1hgYdD7) that officials announced Friday that a woman from Fremont County had contracted the disease. They say she may have been exposed to the virus by a bat.
State Public Health Veterinarian Dr. Karl Musgrave says rabies is often found in animals such as bats and skunks, but human cases are rare. He says there are only one or two human cases in the United States each year.
Officials have not released the woman's health status, but say rabies is a serious, deadly illness once it develops.
To prevent rabies, officials warn that people should keep a safe distance from wildlife.